


Clara's Monsters

by fallinrain



Series: All We Ever Wanted [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Monsters, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Sea Monsters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-03-19 10:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13702449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallinrain/pseuds/fallinrain
Summary: Emma and Killian's youngest daughter Clara has been plagued by horrible nightmares about monsters ever since she was about two years old. Everyone thought that they were just dreams.They were wrong.





	1. "You said they weren't real!"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm both excited and nervous to kick the first chapter of this miniseries that takes place in my All We Ever Wanted universe. I wrote this a couple of months ago, but kept putting off posting it. I tried something new with this little series. I don't really write a lot of action of battle scenes or anything and this includes some. Along with some fantasy elements. The creatures in this come from Celtic mythology. So this is different for me. We'll see how well I pulled it off. I'd say suspension of disbelief wouldn't hurt while reading. 
> 
> I was inspired to finally post this after getting frustrated that it doesn't look like we'll ever see the Captain Swan baby on the show. That we'll apparently never get to see the real Killian as a father. So why not finally post my little miniseries about Killian, the real one, doing whatever he has to do to keep his little girl safe? Protective Daddy Killian might be my favorite.

Something strange and disturbing was happening in Storybrooke. For all of the other strange and disturbing things that had happened in this town, this was unlike any of the others. Oh, there were some similarities. Namely, that people were scared and getting hurt because of it. Like so many of the other times the town had been under siege by a faceless villain, the first step towards defeating said villain was identifying said villain.

From then it was a question of figuring how what they wanted, learning what they hoped to achieve and most importantly? How they could be vanquished. Heaven knew that this particular band of heroes had a vast arsenal of weapons to use against any kind of villain. But you can't defeat a villain until you know who the villain is.

There had been several meetings about issue over the past few weeks. This latest meeting was taking place at the home of Emma and Killian Jones. It was sometime after dinner. Catalina and Clara had been put to bed; along with Neal, because his parents were there; and everyone hoped that they would stay asleep. They were all hoping they could defeat this newest evil before it could impact the lives of their children.

They all feared that they would be too late. Their children had already noticed some of the things that were happening. The strange footprints coming out of the lake that certainly didn't belong to any human. Nor any animal they could name. The claw marks on the trees near the water. The strange sounds heard by the shoreline; they were sometimes described as a combination of an eerie growl and a hiss.

It'd all started a few weeks ago when Leroy had come to them saying that he'd seen a big, dark something he hadn't been able to identify. When pressed he said that it seemed like a weird cross between a beaver and a crocodile, but he hadn't been able to get close enough to tell for sure before the creature disappeared into the night.

Some days had passed and then Archie had found Emma, David and Killian and told them that he'd seen something similar while out walking Pongo one night. Pongo now refused to go near the water during their walks. They'd been approaching the lake when Pongo had stopped dead in his track, emitting a low growl that was so vicious that it chilled Archie to the bone. He'd never heard Pongo make a sound like that.

That was when Archie himself spotted the creature. It was creeping along the shoreline of the lake, its reptilian eyes fixed directly on Archie and Pongo. As if in warning. That's what Archie had said. It had been as if the creature was warning them not to come closer.

Archie's face had gone white at the memory. The creature didn't make any further move towards them, but its gaze never wandered. Archie had slowly backed away for a few steps before his fear got the better of him and he turned and ran, Pongo leading the way. They'd avoided the water ever since.

Now more reports were coming in. A few people had even gotten hurt. At first it seemed as if there was only one creature haunting the town, but now it seemed like there were several. There was one person who had come running into Granny's, eyes wide in pure terror, as they screamed about having just seen an entire pack of the beasts. Up until recently these reports had strictly come from people who'd been near the bodies of water; though never from the ocean. But now a couple had been spotted around town. Always at night.

It seemed as if almost everyone had seen these creatures. Everyone except for this exasperated group of heroes. They had deduced that the sudden appearance of all of these creatures was no coincidence. Someone had caused them to appear. But who? And why?

Earlier today, they had gotten their first big break. Or so they believed. Someone had finally gotten a clear picture of one of the beasts. Leroy's description had been pretty accurate. It really looked as if it were part beaver and part crocodile. It looked part demon as well. It had sent a chill running through each of them.

Killian had attempted to lighten the mood by suggesting that maybe it was one of Mr. Gold's relatives and this was some sort of family squabble. This had gotten mixed results. Though it had made all of them wonder if Mr. Gold was involved.

Things with Mr. Gold were...odd at the present. It seemed as if he had truly decided to stop terrorizing the town, but he'd been keeping his distance. As usual none of them knew where he really stood. Emma and David had gone to talk to him that afternoon. He had no answers, but he did say that he'd been looking into it. He'd offered to help, in a vague kind of way. One that didn't involve him attending any of their meetings.

Ultimately, Emma and David had decided to take him at his word. He truly didn't seem to know what these creatures were or where they might have come from. Whether he would actually be a help to them or not would remain to be seen. But then, that was usually the case with Mr. Gold.

In any event, the kitchen table at the Jones household was a full one. Full of people and pictures of the creature so they could all study it. In addition to Emma, Killian, Mary Margaret and David there was also Henry and Regina. Belle and Zelena had been there earlier, but Belle had decided to head back to the library to do more research and Zelena had gone with her.

They'd all been spouting theories and possible plans of attack against these creatures, but they were no closer to figuring out who was behind this. It was starting to get late and they were all getting tired. Mary Margaret was just about to suggest they call it a night and get back to it in the morning when they were interrupted.

"Mommy?"

Emma looked up at the sound of her youngest daughter's voice. Clara stood just outside of the kitchen in her pajamas. Her dark hair was mussed from sleep and she was hugging her beloved stuffed duck to her chest. When all of the adults turned to look at her, she seemed to curl into herself and her chin came to rest against Jolly.

"Clara? What's the matter, baby? We thought you were asleep," Emma said, getting up and walking to her daughter.

"I was, but." Clara's eyes flickered over to the rest of the adults at the table for a moment and then back to her mother. "I had to go pee and now I can't sleep."

"Can't sleep, huh? I think I know the cure for that. How about I make you some cocoa?" Emma asked. Mary Margaret and Regina made a hasty attempt to cover all the pictures before Clara could see them as Emma talked.

"Okay," Clara agreed.

"Okay," Emma smiled at her and then began collecting what she needed for the cocoa. Clara stayed where she was, a small smile appearing on her face in response to the one Mary Margaret gave her.

"Come here, little love," Killian said, reaching out his hand to his daughter. "Why do you suppose you can't sleep?" He brought his hand to her head when she came to him and attempted to restore some order to her hair.

"Bad dream, little duck?" David asked. He was sitting at the head of the table on Clara's other side.

"No, Grandpa, I..." Clara trailed off. Her face slowly went pale as her back stiffened, her eyes growing wide with alarm.

"Clara? Honey, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked, concerned. They watched as Clara pointed a shaking finger at one of the pictures of the creature that the women had missed.

Clara whirled around so that she was facing her father full on and gaped at him in what could only be described as utter betrayal. "You said they weren't real!"

"What?" Killian asked, stunned by the tone of accusation in his sweet daughter's voice.

"You said they weren't real!" she repeated, jabbing her small finger at the picture.

"Holy crap," Henry muttered from his spot at the table.

"Clara?" It was Emma who spoke, cocoa forgotten as she went back to her daughter. "What are you talking about, baby?" Though she had a sinking feeling that she already knew. A feeling that got worse when her daughter's panic filled eyes met her own.

"My monsters!" Clara exclaimed, her voice breaking.

"Your..." Emma gulped. Her sinking feeling had apparently been right. She closed her eyes for a moment before asking a question that she didn't want to ask, but she didn't have a choice. She needed to ask it. "Honey, are you telling us that these are the monsters from your dreams?"

"Yes!" Clara confirmed. She turned back to glare at Killian. "You said they weren't real." This time when she said it, the words were laced with tears. "You lied!"

"Clara, darling, I didn't know..." Killian practically pleaded. His little girl looked devastated, angry and hurt all at the same time. As if he had completely let her down and she'd lost all her faith in him because of it. It broke his heart. Now she was backing away from him. "Clara..."

"You lied," she whispered before suddenly turning on her heels and running for the stairs.

"Clara!" Killian called, but she ignored him. She hurried up the stairs back to her bedroom. "Bloody hell," he mumbled, wincing as they heard her bedroom door slam shut.

"Her monsters are real," Emma breathed, horror-stricken.

"Holy crap," Henry repeated.

"I better go up and talk to her," Emma said, glancing towards the stairs.

"No, love," Killian shook his head as he got to his feet. "It should be me. I'm the one she's mad at."

* * *

Clara flung herself on her bed upon entering her room. She clung onto Jolly as she began to sob. In her heart of hearts, she'd always known that her monsters were real. That her dreams weren't just dreams and never had been. They were a sign of things to come.

Oh, but she'd so wanted to believe her parents when they said they were just nightmares. Wanted to believe Daddy when he said that her monsters weren't real. But her monsters _were_  real and she knew it was only a matter of time before they came after her.

She froze at the sound of a thumping against her window. One thump, followed by another. She looked up and her eyes widened in fear as she found herself looking at one of her monsters. It's eyes were dark and almost seemed to be glowing as it slammed into her window. For a moment her fear paralyzed her; she couldn't move.

And then the window broke and she screamed. The scream seemed to jolt her limbs back awake. She tumbled off her bed in her haste to get off of it. Eyes wide, she scuttled backwards on her hands and feet like a scared little crab as she watched the beast swoop towards her.

She'd been right. It _had_  only been a matter of time before her monsters came from her.

Unfortunately, that time had come.

* * *

Killian was almost at the top of the stairs when he heard the sound of breaking glass, immediately followed by a scream. He hurried the rest of the way to Clara's room and flung the door open, nearly having a heart attack at the sight that greeted him.

It was that of his little girl being hauled out of her window by one of the horrific monsters from the pictures. From Clara's nightmares. If Killian had to guess, he'd say that it was about five feet long. Not the biggest monster he'd ever faced, but there was something distinctively demonic about it that made his hair stand on end.

"Daddy!" she screamed as he raced to her window.

"Give me back my daughter, you loathsome demon!" Killian snarled, his blood boiling with anger and fear as he made a wild grab for Clara. Missing her by mere inches.

"Daddy!" Clara shrieked as the creature slowly began to fly away. "Daddy, help!"

"Clara!" he shouted. "Clara!"

* * *

"Was that a scream?" Mary Margaret asked, a frown on her face. Emma moved towards the stairs as Killian came rushing down them. Looking every bit the vengeful pirate he'd once been.

"Killian? What was that?" She asked, alarmed as he hurried to grab his sword. "What's going on?"

"Clara's gone," he growled. "One of her monsters took her. I'm going after her!"

"Killian, wait!" Emma hurried after him as he stalked over to their front door. "What do you mean one of her monsters took her?"

"What the bloody hell do you think I mean?" He snapped as he yanked their front door open. "One of those damn creatures broke through her window and took her! And now I'm going to find her."

"Let me get my sword. I'll go with you," Emma decided, quickly.

"No, Swan," he shook his head, his eyes growing wide. "You won't."

"What the hell do you mean I won't?" she demanded.

"Look." He pointed up at the sky, hearing her gasp a second later.

"Oh my God," she breathed.

There, flying towards their house was a group of Clara's monsters. "Stay here and defend the house," Killian ordered. "Keep Catalina safe."

"But how do you plan on finding Clara?" She asked, clearly torn on what she should do.

"Don't worry about that. I'll find her," he said with a nod. He didn't give her a chance to argue, just took off running in the direction that he'd watched the demon head with his daughter. Somewhere in the back of his mind it occurred to him that he had no way to drag the creature from the sky. He didn't exactly have a plan in place for rescuing her, but how could he not chase after them?

"Killian!" Emma cried, but it was no use.

"Emma?" It was David. "What the...holy..." He had just spotted the pack of monsters heading towards them.

"Yeah." She turned to her father with wild eyes. "A monster took Clara and now a swarm of them are heading right for us. Killian told me to take care of it." David studied her for a moment; she was obviously struggling not to panic.

"Where'd he go?" he asked.

"That way," she pointed, making him nod.

"Right. I'll go after Killian and we'll find Clara and bring her home," David vowed. "You deal with them!" He gestured towards the monsters and at Emma's somewhat jerky nod, turned and took off in the direction Killian had gone.

It would occur to them all later that one of the magic users - if not Emma, than Regina - should have gone with David. Maybe things would have ended up differently if they had. But then again, it's not always easy to think logically during an unexpected attack. Decisions had to be made and, for better or worse, they had made them. They'd have to live with the consequences of those decisions later.

For now, they had some monsters to destroy.

* * *

Killian had never been more grateful for the sound of his daughter's screams. It was a terrible thought; he knew it the moment he thought it. If it were up to him, Clara would never have a reason to scream at all. He couldn't bear hearing sounds of such horror coming from his daughter.

But on this night, he found himself grateful. He'd heard her scream as he ran and now they were allowing him to track her. He'd gotten a glimpse of them, but they'd soon disappeared from view. But he could still hear her. Curiously enough, the creature seemed to be moving relatively slowly. Almost as if it wasn't used to carrying that much weight. This suited Killian just fine.

Sooner or later, the monster would be forced to land and then? Then it would be able to be killed. Killian had exactly two goals for this evening. First and foremost, to rescue his little girl. And then? Then he would kill this beast.

He usually preferred not to think about his time as a Dark One, but right now at this moment? He'd give just about anything to have those powers back. It would make saving Clara that much easier. He could just wave his hand and his daughter would be safe in his arms, the demon dead.

But no. He would have to do this the old fashioned way. He would save his daughter; that was the only acceptable option here. He couldn't allow himself to consider any others. He was not losing his precious Clara. Not tonight.

Not ever.

* * *

Clara's monster began to fly lower and lower as it approached the big lake. Killian's assumption had been correct: the beast was not accustomed to hauling much weight. Wasn't accustomed to hauling much of anything, but the enchantment that had been placed on it had given it just enough power to be able to do so.

"Oof!" Clara grunted as she was unceremoniously dropped onto the shoreline. It was one of her nightmares come to life and she had never been more afraid. As terrifying as her dreams were, they didn't hold a candle to the reality.

She made a desperate attempt to get away from the monster, who had landed beside her. Its wings disappearing the moment its claws touched the ground; the spell it had been under fading away. "Daddy!" She screamed again. She would not stop screaming. She would scream until she couldn't anymore.

A fresh scream tore out of her throat as she felt something wrap around her ankle and begin to pull her towards the water. It'd been raining the past couple of nights and the shoreline was wet and muddy. She dug her hands into the mud as she had so many times in her nightmares and tried to wriggle her way lose, but it was no use. "Daddy!"

* * *

"Daddy!" Killian picked up his speed as he neared the lake. He'd suspected that this was where the monster was taking Clara and the proximity of her scream confirmed it. He came to the shoreline, his heart seeming to stop in his chest at the sight of his little girl slowly being dragged into the water.

Killian raced towards his daughter and the beast, a roar ripping out of his throat like a battle cry. It got the creature's attention and the beast released his grip on Clara's ankle only to creep over her as if claiming her as its own. The growl it emitted only serving to anger Killian farther. He didn't think he had ever been so furious or so scared. The monster continued to slink forward, its movements serving to slide Clara farther into the water.

Killian slowed, eyes locked on the demon's as his mind raced with thoughts of how to pull the monster away from his daughter without hurting her in the process. He feinted to the right of the creature and then burst forward to its left when it followed his movements, drawing his sword back and driving it into the side of the beast.

The hiss that escaped from the monster sounded otherworldly, but Killian didn't give it much more thought as he dropped down and seized it. Pure adrenaline coursed through his veins as he wrenched the vile monster away from Clara. On his side with his right arm now pinned underneath the monster, Killian punched his hook into its other side and then did it again. Yanking his arm free, he practically jumped back to his feet before skewering the creature with his sword.

He ripped it out and drove it in once more for good measure. Finally satisfied that he has successfully slain the demon, he whipped back around at the sound of a strangled cry for help. He caught a glimpse of two small arms briefly waving frantically before disappearing and wasted no time tossing his bloodied sword on the shoreline before diving in and swimming over to her. He came up behind her and slid his arms under hers, pulling her against his chest.

He swam them back to the shore and dragged her onto the muddy shoreline. She thankfully hadn't yet lost consciousness, so he quickly turned her on her side as she began to cough to ensure that all of the water she'd swallowed came out. "It's okay, darling. It's okay." At this point, Killian had to force himself to take a few deep breaths. "Clara?" He said as she finally stopped coughing.

"Daddy?" She slowly rolled onto her back to look up at him.

"Aye, love." Killian's voice broke as he drank in the sight of his daughter's face. "I'm here. Easy now," he cautioned as she started to sit up. "Take it slowly."

Clara ignored his advice as she scrambled up onto her feet. "Daddy!" She flung her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

"Clara," he breathed, holding her close. "I've got you, darling. Daddy's got you."

"You saved me!" she cried.

"Of course I did," Killian murmured. "Did you really think I'd let a monster take you away from me? Never. I'll always be here when you need me, lass." He eased her back and placed a series of quick kisses on her forehead and cheeks. "Are you alright?" He looked her over, frantically. He could see some scrapes on her upper arms and her ankle where the creature had grabbed her, but she seemed miraculously unharmed all things considered.

Oh, he would certainly be rushing her home to Emma so she could work her magic and heal her wounds. Or maybe it'd be better just to take her to the hospital instead. He had no doubt in his mind that a battle had broken out at his house once the monsters reached it. It was obvious that that's where they'd been headed. He trusted Emma and the others to take care of it, but he didn't want to take Clara back to a battle ground.

So the hospital it would be. That said, none of her physical injuries seemed terribly serious and that was a humongous relief. At the moment, he was more concerned with her mental state.

Adrenaline had no doubt been coursing through her small body as well, but her recovery from her near drowning had seemed to briefly push the panic aside. Now he watched as the full realization that one of her nightmares had literally come true washed over her.

Killian quickly pulled her close again as she fell apart. She clung onto him with a fierceness that surprised him. Not that he minded. As far as he was concerned, she could hold onto him as tightly as she wished. She buried her face in the juncture between his neck and shoulder and began to sob.

"That's it, sweetheart. Let it out. It's alright." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Daddy's got you. You're safe now. You're safe." He repeated it a few more times and was unsure if he was doing it more for her benefit or his own. "Daddy's got you."

His little girl was safe. She was terrified and panicking, to be certain, and who could blame the lass? But she was alive. She was in his arms and she was alive. He cradled her head against his shoulder and kept whispering the words as if in prayer. "You're safe. I've got you. You're safe."

"D-don't l-let g-go," she whimpered through her tears.

"Don't you worry about that, my darling," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere. Daddy's right here." He held her for some time, rocking her gently, before it dawned on him that he should probably get her off of the muddy shoreline. He managed to get to his feet, still holding her in his arms, when he heard a shout.

"Killian!" It was David. Somewhere in his pursuit of Killian and the monster, it had occurred to him to check the big lake. He was relieved to see that his instincts had been right. He hurried over to them. "You found her! Thank God!"

"I found her," Killian nodded, as if to remind himself as well.

"Hey there, little duck," David said gently, putting his hand on his granddaughter's back and giving her a small smile as she turned her head just enough to peek out at him over her father's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Grandpa!" She didn't answer the question, but seemed slightly more comforted by his presence.

"I was just thinking that I needed to take our sweet girl to the hospital to be looked at," Killian told him, turning away from the water as he spoke.

David opened his mouth to respond when a soft growl caught his attention. "What was that?"

He heard Killian draw a sharp breath. "Bloody hell."

"What?" David asked, watching as Killian very slowly raised his hand and pointed to a spot in the grass.

"Looks like we have some company, mate," Killian said, bleakly. There on the grass was not one, but two of the vile creatures. As they watched, two more creeped out of the shadows.

"Huh," David muttered, somewhat aghast. Seeing pictures of the beasts had been bad enough, but seeing them in person and up close was so much worse. "Looks like we do." His hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"Daddy!" Clara gasped, suddenly. "My monsters!" Killian glanced at David warily before turning around to face the water again.

"Bloody hell," Killian repeated, this time with more vehemence. There were at least five of the creatures coming out of the water. David shifted so that he was blocking Clara's body with his own.

"Okay, this complicates things a bit," David acknowledged.

"Aye, it does." Killian agreed, carefully. "Now what?"


	2. "Daddy?...Daddy?!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one picks up right where the first chapter left off. Remember that suspension of disbelief I mentioned last time? Hold on to that. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance for how this one ends. To say it's a bit angsty would be an understatement. You know one thing I like almost as much as Protective Daddy Killian? Protective Grandpa Charming. I just really miss Captain Charming, you guys. I mean, there's nothing I miss more than Captain Swan but I loved me some Captain Charming. Which is why David had to be the one who followed Killian in the last chapter even though a magic wielder may have been more useful.

"Alright, so it looks like we have to kill some monsters," David said. He and Killian were standing in a kind of V formation, keeping Clara between the two of them. "Shouldn't be too difficult. Not for the two of us."  
  
"Aye," Killian agreed. "I think we can take them."   
  
"D-Daddy?" Clara whimpered. "I'm s-scared!"  
  
"I know, Clara," Killian said soothingly, cupping the back of her head with his hand. "But it's going to be alright."   
  
"B-but my m-monsters," she hiccuped. "They w-want to hurt me."   
  
"Don't worry, sweetheart." Fat chance of that happening, Killian thought grimly. This was his daughter's worst nightmare playing out right before her eyes. But he'd be damned if he was going to let these vile creatures hurt her any more than they already had. "Daddy's not going to let that happen. I promise. Neither will Grandpa."  
  
Even in saying that, Killian couldn't help worrying. He didn't doubt his and David's ability to defeat these monsters. He believed that the two of them could indeed handle this. But Clara's presence certainly complicated things a bit.   
  
Bloody hell, it complicated things a lot.   
  
He figured he had two options. The first was to try to battle the monsters while holding Clara in his arms. The second was to set his little girl down in a pit of monsters while he and David fought them. Neither option was all that appealing.   
  
"Uh, Dave?"   
  
"What?" David asked.  
  
"What do you suppose we should do with our girl?" Killian asked, working to keep him voice calm for Clara's benefit.   
  
"What do you mean?" David stepped more to the side to try to get a better assessment of the situation and Killian moved with him. It was almost as if they'd coordinated it ahead of time. "We protect her."  
  
"Obviously." Killian couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I'm just wondering if it might be safer to put her down while we fight. We could try to keep her between us."  
  
"Are you out of your mind?" David asked, though Killian appreciated that his father-in-law was making a point of speaking as if they were having a regular conversation. He evidently didn't want to scare Clara any further either and Killian could only be grateful for that.   
  
"I admit that the thought of putting her down makes my stomach turn," Killian acknowledged.   
  
"No!" He winced. He should've expected that Clara might have some thoughts on the matter. "Don't let go, Daddy!"  
  
"Well, there you have it," David responded, nodding to himself. "Listen, if I can battle the Evil Queen's guards while holding Emma while she was an infant, you can hold Clara while we battle these guys."  
  
"That hardly seems safe, mate," Killian argued, narrowing his eyes as one of the creatures growled at them.  
  
"And putting her down in the middle of a group of monsters does?" David countered.   
  
"No," Killian sighed. "It doesn't. Bloody hell." The fact that he was apparently going to have to fight these creatures whilst holding his daughter concerned him, but he'd just have to figure it out. He shifted her so that she was balanced more on his left side.   
  
"We can do this, Killian," David assured him. "You can do this." Clara's presence concerned him too, but there was nothing they could do about that now. Nothing except do whatever it took to keep her safe. "Don't worry, little duck," he added to Clara. "We'll protect you. Just hold on to your Daddy good and tight, alright?"  
  
Clara didn't answer, but her grip on Killian tightened and she pressed her face back into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "That's right, little love. I need you to hold on to me. Everything is going to be alright," Killian tried to assure her.   
  
It would be. It had to be. Killian had already sworn to himself that he would not lose his Clara tonight and that was one vow that he intended to keep.   
  
Of course, there was something he needed first. "Uh David?" He said cautiously.  
  
"What?" David asked.  
  
"We do have a tiny little problem," Killian told him. "Another one, I mean."  
  
"Oh? And that would be?" David asked.  
  
"My sword. It's on the ground and it looks like there's a monster standing over it," Killian said.  
  
"Why did you let go of it?" David wanted to know, sounding frustrated.  
  
"I threw it down when I had to rescue Clara from the water," Killian said with a sigh. "I didn't anticipate more of the beasts showing up."  
  
"Alright," David said. "I'll get it. Just be ready for it, okay? Are you ready?"  
  
"Clara, sweetheart? You might want to keep your eyes closed, alright?" Killian felt her nod against him and pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head "That's a good girl. It's going to be alright. I promise." To David he added, "I'm ready."  
  
"Then let's kill some monsters," David replied, focusing in on the creature that was currently standing over Killian's sword. "I think we'll start with you." He informed it, taking a quick breath to steady himself before lunging towards the beast and piercing it with his sword before it had time to adjust. A few slashes and a hard kick later and David was able to swoop down and grab Killian's sword with his free hand.  
  
Just in time too. The other creatures began to swarm in as David thrust Killian's sword into his son-in-law's waiting hand. And the battle began.  
  


* * *

"Get away from my house!" Emma snarled, as she hurled a blast of magic at one of the monsters that was hovering outside of Catalina's window.   
  
The women had made some serious headway against the onslaught of monsters. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Mary Margaret fire an arrow and hit another of the creatures right in the heart, sending it plummeting to the ground. A flash of fire coming from the other side of the house was Regina's most recent contribution to the fight.   
  
"Do you see any others?" Emma yelled to her mother, who scanned the sky.  
  
"No," Mary Margaret shook her head. "Regina?"  
  
Regina came around the side of the house. "No more on my side either. I think we got them all."  
  
"Now what?" Mary Margaret asked, looking back and forth between the other two. "What do we do now?"  
  
"I need to find Clara," Emma said, firmly. "Keep an eye on the sky. I'll be right back."   
  
"I'll...deal with them," Regina said bleakly, waving her hand at the last monster Mary Margaret had shot in the yard. There were a few others that Mary Margaret had hit to deal with, but thankfully the ones blasted by Emma's magic or roasted by Regina's fireballs had disintegrated once hit.  
  
Emma gave her a nod before darting back into the house and up to Clara's bedroom to grab Jolly. The broken window gave her pause. She managed to channel her magic and used it to patch up the window before heading back downstairs.   
  
Instead of heading right outside, she went over to where Catalina and Henry sat huddled together on the couch. Neal had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal, but Catalina had woken up screaming at some point during the battle.   
  
"Are you guys okay?" Emma asked them as she perched on the couch next to Catalina.   
  
"Are the m-monsters gone?" Catalina asked. She had what appeared to be a rather tight grip on Henry's arm.  
  
"Yes, baby," Emma told her. "We took care of them. They're all gone. We're safe now." She could only hope that no more monsters would show up and prove her wrong. "I'm just going to go find Clara, Daddy and Grandpa, okay?" She leaned in to kiss the top of Catalina's head. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise." She got back to her feet and focused on Henry. "Take care of your sister for me, okay?"  
  
"I will," Henry promised. "We'll be okay."  
  
"Okay," she nodded, looking back at Catalina. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you both."  
  
Upon rejoining Mary Margaret and Regina, Emma pursed her lips as she studied her house for a moment. "A protection spell couldn't hurt, huh?" She spread her hands and lifted them, a soft white light filtering out and around her house.  
  
"Perhaps a double protection spell," Regina offered, lifting her own hands to help. "Let's make sure those monsters can never attack your house again."  
  
"Thanks Regina," Emma nodded at her. "Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye on things? Just in case?"  
  
"I'll stay," Regina assured her. "Go find Clara and the men."  
  
"I'll go with you," Mary Margaret told Emma.  
  
"Alright. Are you ready?" At Mary Margaret's nod, Emma turned her attention to the stuffed duck in her hands. "Okay, Jolly. What do you say we go find our little girl?" She let go, watching it hover it midair for a moment before it started to float away and chased it, Mary Margaret right behind her.

* * *

It turned out that using a sword while holding a four year old wasn't quite as hard as Killian had thought it might be. Oh it wasn't easy, by any means. Not anything close to easy, in fact. But he was managing quite well, he thought.  
  
Granted, holding his little girl provided a certain level of motivation. His need to protect his daughter undoubtedly gave him more of an edge which helped him slay the demons. The adrenaline pumping through his system didn't hurt either.   
  
Having David at his side was an enormous help as well. He shuddered to think of how things might be going if David hadn't shown up when he had. They fought well together and David had done a good job of keeping Clara blocked most of the time.   
  
"This isn't so bad," David grunted as he drove his sword into the skull of one of the beasts. It had taken a healthy amount of effort, but between the two of them they'd been able to kill most of the creatures. A few persistent ones remained, however.   
  
"Oh yeah," Killian responded, a snarl on his lips as he slashed at another of the beasts. "I could do this all night."  
  
That was when it happened.   
  
Killian sidestepped one of the creatures and tripped over the tail of one of the others, losing his balance on the mud. He had just enough time to shift Clara as they fell so that he took the brunt of the fall. "Bloody hell," Killian growled, rolling to move Clara away from the monster.  
  
And then he felt one of the monsters sink its teeth into his leg and let out a strangled scream. A second escaping as a claw sliced into his side. He gave a few hard kicks with his foot and shifted enough to swipe back at the monster at his side with his hook. He heaved himself to his knees and swung his sword at the beast, taking care not to hit Clara in the process.   
  
When the creature snapped its jaws at Clara, making her shriek in terror, Killian pounced on it. He rolled with the beast, dragging it away from his daughter.   
  
Clara scrambled backwards on her hands and feet, her eyes wide with fear and panic. She couldn't see her father anymore; he'd rolled as far away with the monster as he could. "Daddy!" She screamed as another monster slowly creeped its way closer to her. Her hand hit a pointed rock as she scooted farther back, slicing her palm. But she grabbed it anyway and flung it at the creature.   
  
It was an instinctive action; one that she didn't remember deciding to take, but that hardly mattered. The rock miraculously pelted the monster between its beady eyes and it hissed angrily in response. The sound got David's attention and he lunged between them, hurling his sword at the creature and delivering a fatal blow in the process. He pulled his sword out of the beast and then stabbed it again to be certain.   
  
David panted as he scanned his part of the shoreline carefully. No more creatures had come out of the water or appeared on the grass on his other side. A shouted curse had him spinning back towards Killian's side and his heart sank as he saw that his son-in-law was currently underneath one of the foul creatures.  
  
But then there was a grunt as Killian drove his hook up into the beast and twisted it. He yanked it back out and managed to shove the dying beast off of him. David ran forward and slammed his sword down into the beast for good measure.   
  
"Ha!" David cried out in triumph. "We did it!" He did another sweep of the area to make sure. "I think we got all of them. We make a pretty good team, don't we Hook?"   
  
Silence.   
  
"Hook?" David turned back to look at him, the smile fading from his lips as he quickly sheathed his sword. Killian was lying on his back in the mud, not moving.   
  
"Daddy?" Clara asked, scrambling over to Killian's side. "Daddy?!"   
  
"Killian?" David frowned as he rushed over to join them. "Killian!"   
  
"Did...did we get them all?" Killian asked, finally. He sounded weak.  
  
"Yeah," David answered, his concern growing even as Killian slowly turned his head to peer at Clara. "We did."  
  
"Clara," Killian breathed. It took just about all of the strength he had left to lift his hand to Clara's cheek. "My beautiful little girl."  
  
"Daddy?" she asked, tearfully. "Daddy, you're hurt!"  
  
"Ssh." Killian caressed her cheek with his thumb. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now." A slow smile spread across his face as he studied his daughter's face. "My precious Clara. You're safe."  
  
"You're hurt!" she repeated, getting more and more upset by the second.  
  
"It's okay, Clara," David said quickly. "Your Daddy will be okay." He dug his phone out of his pocket. "We'll get him help."  
  
"David." Killian tore his gaze from Clara's face to look at his father-in-law. He was fading and he knew it. "I need you to look after Clara." He let out a hiss at the pang in his side. "Take...take care of her for me."  
  
"I will," David promised.   
  
"And Dave?" Killian locked his eyes on David's. "Take care of...of all my girls for me. Please. I need..." He gritted his teeth against another twinge of pain. "I need to know that you'll take care of them."  
  
"Hey, come on now. You're going to be fine," David said, calmly.   
  
"I think we both know that isn't the case, mate," Killian said, weakly.   
  
"You're going to be fine," David repeated, firmly this time. "Your girls and Henry need you and I know that you're not about to leave them."  
  
"Dave..."  
  
"No." David shook his head. "You are going to be fine." He said it slowly, the tone in his voice leaving no room open for debate.  
  
"Aye," Killian said after a long moment. "But humor a pirate, would you? Promise me that...that you'll look after my girls. And Henry."  
  
"I'll keep Clara safe. And I'll always be there for your girls and Henry," David promised. A beat. "I'll keep them safe for you until you get back on your feet. Alright?"  
  
"Thank you, mate," Killian nodded. David returned the nod and then turned to his phone to call the paramedics, turning to give Clara and Killian a little bit of privacy.   
  
"D-D-Daddy..." Clara was crying in earnest now. She knew that something was terribly wrong and she could not have been more frightened.   
  
"Don't you cry, my darling," he said, giving her a weak smile. "It's going to be alright. Grandpa will take good care of you. Everything is going to be okay." He brushed away some of her tears with his thumb. "I love you so much. My sweet Clara."  
  
"I l-love you, D-Daddy," she whispered. "D-don't leave me. Please? P-please Daddy! Don't l-leave me..."  
  
"Daddy loves you so much," he told her. "Never...never forget that, sweetheart." Killian's eyes began to droop against his will. "You're going to be okay, my littlest love. Just...just remember that I love you. Daddy loves you, Clara," he whispered. And then everything went dark.  
  
"D-Daddy? Daddy?!" Clara clutched at his shirt, hardly able to see him through her tears. "D-Daddy, w-wake up! Daddy! Daddy?!"

 


	3. "Oh Clara...Mommy's so sorry."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma felt like she was going out of her mind. The events of the last twelve hours had taken quite a toll on her. Not to mention her family as a whole. Everything had gotten so bad so quickly. 
> 
> Clara had discovered her monsters were real and been kidnapped by one of them. Their home had been under attack by the creatures and they still didn't know what the creatures were, exactly. Or who had sent them. 
> 
> Emma knew someone had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to focus more on Emma and how she's feeling about all of this. And to find out Killian's fate.

Emma felt like she was going out of her mind. The events of the last twelve hours had taken quite a toll on her. Not to mention her family as a whole. Everything had gotten so bad so quickly.   
  
Clara had discovered her monsters were real and been kidnapped by one of them. Their home had been under attack by the creatures and they still didn't know what the creatures were, exactly. Or who had sent them.   
  
Emma knew someone had. She knew that they didn't just appear out of nowhere. This was a concentrated attack against her and her family. Oh, other people had gotten hurt over the last few weeks, but Emma couldn't shake the feeling that her family was the prime target. After all, they hadn't heard about anyone else' shone getting attacked. Not to mention that Clara was the only person they knew of who had actually been taken by one of the beasts.   
  
Clara.  
  
Emma's heart hurt at the thought of her younger daughter. Out of everyone, Clara had suffered the most. Her monsters - the monsters that had been haunting her dreams for the past two years - were real. And one of the worst of her nightmares had actually come true. Her getting kidnapped, her getting dragged into the cold water of the lake. Not to mention that her daddy, who she so adored, had been injured by the beasts.  
  
No, not just injured. Almost killed. Killian had very nearly lost his life out on the shoreline.   
  
The thought made Emma's head snap up to focus on her husband, lying asleep in his hospital bed. He was alive, she reminded herself. Killian was alive and Dr. Whale had assured her that he would stay that way. He was expected to make a full recovery.   
  
Emma knew that. She did. But that didn't stop her from getting up from the uncomfortable recliner she'd tried, and failed, to get some sleep in and moving to his bedside. She perched on the side of the bed, facing him.   
  
"Oh Killian," she sighed, reaching out to take his hand in both of hers. It felt warm and solid in her hands and she steadied herself by pressing it to her cheek. "I really wish you'd wake up already," she said quietly.  
  
It was the surgery, Dr. Whale had explained. It had taken a lot out of Killian and the drugs they'd given him were strong. It would take a while for them to work their way out of his system. He'd wake up sooner or later.  
  
And he _had_ woken up briefly in recovery, Emma reminded herself. He'd been very groggy and weak, but he had woken up and spoken to her. His voice had been creaky and he'd been pretty out of it, but he had managed to ask if Clara was safe. Emma had assured him that she was and told him that she loved him. He'd returned the sentiment, but had fallen back asleep soon afterwards and had stayed asleep ever since.   
  
She knew that the sleep was good for him. She knew that he needed to rest so that he could start to heal, but she so wanted to talk to him. So wanted to hear his voice and look into those gorgeous blue eyes of his.   
  
She missed him.   
  
It was a silly way to feel considering that they were in the same room, but that's how she felt. Maybe it was because it'd thankfully been a long time since she'd come close to losing him. And going through the pain of almost losing him again had brought back all the memories of all the times that she had.   
  
Brought back the way it had felt when she'd been standing over his grave after leaving him behind in the Underworld. It wasn't the same. It wasn't anything close to being the same. He was going to be just fine. But no matter how many times Emma reminded herself of that fact, she knew that the ache in her heart wouldn't fade until he woke up.   
  
She needed him. Their children needed him; Clara especially. Another pang pierced her heart at the thought of her little girl. "Oh Clara," Emma sighed. "Mommy's so sorry."  
  
She thought back to the events of the night before. Of successfully battling the creatures attacking her home and using a locator spell on Jolly that had lead her and Mary Margaret to Clara. To the lake.   
  
To a sight that would undoubtedly give Emma nightmares of her own over the next few nights. Maybe over the next few months. It'd been so horrible. Jolly had plopped down in the mud next to Clara, who had been huddled over Killian's unmoving form sobbing and screaming at him to wake up. David was at her side, gently prying her away.  
  
They were surrounded by the dead bodies of Clara's monsters. Emma shuddered at the memory. It'd been like something out of a horror movie.   
  
She'd ran towards them, Mary Margaret right behind her. Her boots had slipped on the mud and she'd nearly skidded into Killian but had somehow managed to stop herself in time. Her hands had gone to Killian's face as soon as she dropped to her knees and tried to wake him. Tried and failed.  
  
Emma had pushed down her panic as David turned Clara so that she was facing him. "Give me some space," Emma had ordered, a twinge of guilt following as she glanced back up at her father. "Please." David had nodded and stood up, walking a still screaming Clara a few feet away towards Mary Margaret.   
  
Emma recalled the way she had summoned her magic, keeping her hands hovered above Killian's body as she started with his head and worked her magic down his body. She'd focused most of her efforts on his leg, which had seemed to be the worst of his injuries. And she'd healed him.  
  
But not completely.   
  
Something had gone wrong. The cuts and scratches that had been on his face and arms had healed just fine. His leg had healed perfectly. It'd been the wound in his side that had been the problem. For some reason, she hadn't been able to heal it all the way.   
  
She supposed that she may have started to give into her panic and that had weakened her magic, but it still didn't make sense. Of course, not being able to heal his side had only made her panic all the more. She'd vaguely been aware of the sound of approaching sirens; David having called the paramedics just before Emma and Mary Margaret had gotten there.   
  
But it hadn't been the sirens that had distracted her from her work. It'd been the sound of Clara's screams. Emma hadn't been able to focus, hadn't been able to think. It'd all been too much for her, her fear for Killian growing with each second that passed. "Clara, baby, please calm down." She'd tried pleading at first.  
  
It hadn't worked.   
  
Clara would not stop screaming. "Please, Clara," Emma had tried again; still her daughter kept screaming. Finally, Emma had reached her breaking point and yelled at her daughter to be quiet. It had come out so much harsher than she'd intended. It'd had the desired effect, however; the shout had stunned Clara into silence.   
  
Emma had never screamed at either of her daughters like that. Not once. Clara had simply gaped at her mother in shock for a few moments, a look of pure hurt on her sweet face. Her chin had started quivering as her eyes filled with fresh tears. She'd then turned her head to weep on David's shoulder. They'd been silent tears; at least, Emma hadn't been able to hear them from where she was.   
  
But she'd seen the force of Clara's tears shaking her small frame as she clung to her Grandpa. Mary Margaret had wordlessly reached down to retrieve Jolly for Clara before putting her arms around her granddaughter and husband.   
  
Emma had tried to push down the enormous guilt she'd then been feeling and tried anew to heal Killian's wound, but her efforts had been futile. By this point the paramedics were rushing towards them and Killian was being loaded onto a stretcher.   
  
Mary Margaret had told her to go in the ambulance with Killian and David said that they'd meet her at the hospital. Emma had nodded and followed the paramedics to the ambulance and climbed in after them. She'd left without saying anything to any of them.   
  


* * *

Upon reaching the hospital, Killian had been rushed off to surgery. Emma had just stood there staring in the direction that they'd taken Killian for a few minutes while she tried to calm down. She'd soon realized that that wasn't going to help anything. She needed to move. And so she did.  
  
She'd known that she should probably head to the waiting room to check on her daughter, but she didn't know if she could face her just yet. Clara had undoubtedly been completely traumatized by the events of the night and what had Emma done? Screamed at her to shut up.   
  
She'd kept imagining that look of absolute hurt that had appeared on Clara's face. Clara had already been terrified at the prospect of losing her father and now she probably felt abandoned by her mother as well. Emma hadn't even looked to see if Clara had been injured. It hadn't occurred to her, not with the way she'd been screaming for her daddy. Emma's primary concern had been for Killian.  
  
Emma didn't know exactly how long she'd wandered around the hospital, but it'd seemed like a long time. But she'd finally found her way to the waiting room and had entered it with a sense of trepidation. She'd been thinking about how to apologize to Clara for shouting at her and to her parents for waiting so long to find them.  
  
Only when she'd entered the waiting room, neither of her parents had been in it. Instead she'd found Clara asleep in Regina's arms. Puzzled, Emma had made her way over to them...  
  


* * *

"Regina? When did you get here?" Emma asked.  
  
"Mary Margaret called to ask me to drive them to the hospital and bring Clara some clean clothes," Regina answered. "I was going to take her home, but I thought that you'd want to see her first." Emma hadn't even noticed that Clara was now in a different pair of pajamas. Not only that, but she looked as if she'd had a bath.   
  
Seeing the look of confusion on Emma's face, Regina explained that she'd decided that a mere change of clothes wouldn't do; Clara had been covered in mud. She'd decided that the emotional trauma Clara had endured was more than enough for the small child to bear. It didn't seem right for her to have to deal with physical injuries on top of it. Well, nothing about what had happened to her seemed right, but even still.  
  
Regina had wanted to do something to help. She couldn't take away the emotional trauma, as much as she wished she could. But she could heal her physical wounds with her magic. And so she had. She had used her magic, literally, to heal those wounds and clean Clara up.   
  
Mary Margaret had still insisted that Clara be looked over by a doctor when they arrived at the hospital, shooting Regina a quick apology. It wasn't that Mary Margaret didn't trust Regina's magic; she just wanted to be absolutely certain that Clara was alright. Regina had waved off the apology. She was pretty sure that she'd removed all of Clara's injuries, but agreed it was best to have her examined just in case she'd somehow missed something.  
  
She hadn't.   
  
Clara was completely healed, physically speaking. Not to mention nice and clean. Her dark hair had been caked in mud when Emma had last seen her, but now it was soft and shining. It was something.   
  
A big something as far as Emma was concerned. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw that Regina had taken care to clean Jolly as well. "Thank you," she said quietly. "How...how was she when you got there? Clara, I mean," she then asked, hestitantly.   
  
"She was very upset," Regina said, carefully. "She was in shock and not really talking. She did ask for Killian." She gave Emma a sympathetic look. "When Mary Margaret explained that he was with the doctors, she started crying again. She cried herself to sleep."  
  
"Oh Clara," Emma sighed, sadly, reaching over to touch her daughter's soft cheek. She looked up at Regina with tear filled eyes. "What if she loses him? She needs her daddy." A pause. "I need him. I can't lose him again."  
  
"You won't," Regina said firmly. "You and I both know how hard he'll fight to stay with you and your girls. I'm sure he'll be fine."   
  
Emma nodded. "What a night this has been, huh? Clara's probably going to have nightmares forever and now Killian's in surgery." Emma's voice cracked. "What about Catalina and Henry? Are they okay?"  
  
"They're fine," Regina assured her. "Your house is fine. We haven't seen any more of the beasts. Catalina's shaken up, but she's okay. Henry's taking good care of her." A small smile appeared on her face. "She was too scared to go back to sleep. He was reading her a story when I left. As for your brother, he slept through the whole thing."  
  
"Good. That's good. I..." Emma trailed off as something occurred to her, "Regina? Where are my parents?" She felt a pit in her stomach at the look on her friend's face. "Regina?"  
  
"Mary Margaret insisted that David be examined when they got here. He sustained some injuries during the battle without realizing it. They're keeping him overnight for observation," Regina told her, lifting up her hand at the look of rising panic on Emma's face. "He'll be alright."  
  
"If he was alright, they wouldn't want to keep him here all night," Emma argued.  
  
"It's just a precaution," Regina assured her. "Mary Margaret's with him."  
  
"Ugh," Emma sighed. "How did everything get so messed up?"  
  
"The same way it always happens with us," Regina shrugged. "David and Killian will be okay. We'll figure out who was behind this and we'll take care of it."  
  
"And what about Clara?" Emma asked. "How are we supposed to get her through this?" There was a pause as they both studied the subject in question. Clara was still asleep, thankfully.   
  
"By loving her," Regina said simply. "By letting her know that she's not alone. It might take some time, but I think she'll be okay. Eventually."  
  
"Eventually," Emma repeated. 

* * *

Regina had taken Clara home hours ago and had promised Emma that she'd look after the kids for her. Emma had stopped by to peer in David's room, but the sight of her father asleep in a hospital bed had been too much for her. Mary Margaret sat by his side, holding his hand and saying something to him that Emma hadn't been able to hear. She'd slinked away before her mother could notice her.  
  
She felt bad about it, especially looking back. She still hadn't gone back to check on her father, but her concern had been for Killian. She knew that she probably would have been better off with some company, but she didn't want it.   
  
Well, that wasn't entirely true.   
  
The person whose company she desired was still asleep in his hospital bed. Emma knew she would feel so much better once he woke up. She still had no idea how they would help Clara deal with everything that had happened, but she had faith that Killian would. He was so good in these kinds of situations.  
  
So good at knowing the right words to say. So good at knowing the right ways to support the people he cared about. His love could help his girls through absolutely anything; Emma knew that first hand. He never stopped fighting for those he loved and Emma had no doubts that he would do whatever it took to help their baby girl. To help Emma and Catalina, as well.   
  
"Oh Killian," Emma whispered. She was exhausted and her back was absolutely killing her. All she wanted was to curl up against him and rest her head on his chest. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her, holding her securely against him. Feel his hand stroking her hair and be lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat.   
  
Emma was still holding his hand to her cheek and now she indulged herself by leaning into it and closing her eyes. "Killian."  
  
"Swan." For a moment Emma thought it was her mind playing tricks on her. But then she felt his thumb caress her cheek.   
  
"Killian?" Her eyes flew open as she looked up, letting out a long sigh of relief as she found herself looking into those eyes that she loved so much.   
  
"Hey beautiful." His voice was soft and still a little creaky, but she didn't care.  
  
"Killian," she breathed. "You're awake."  
  
"Aye," he yawned. "It would appear so."  
  
"Are you alright? How do you feel? Do you want me to get a nurse? Or maybe I should page Dr. Whale." Emma's words came out in a rush.  
  
"No need for that. Not just now," he answered, taking note of how worried she looked. "Talk to me, Swan. What's wrong?"   
  
"Nothing! You're awake now and everything will be fine," she said, though she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself of that fact instead of him. "Everything will be fine." Her voice broke on the _fine_ as she found herself crumbling under the weight of everything that had happened. She burst into tears, much to Killian's alarm.  
  
"Emma," he said, quietly. "What is it, love? You can tell me."  
  
"Oh Killian," she sniffled. "Clara got taken and you and my dad went after her. You both got hurt. You and my dad, I mean. Well, actually, he got hurt. You...you almost died." She shook her head at him. "I tried to heal you and I did...to a point, but...you almost died." She pressed a hand to her mouth. "You scared the hell out of me."  
  
"My apologies, my love. I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, not entirely sure what he could say to make her feel better. He wasn't sorry.   
  
Okay, that wasn't completely true. He _was_ sorry that she'd been so worried about him. He was sorry for scaring her so badly. What he _wasn't_ sorry about was doing what he'd had to do to save their daughter.  
  
"There's a part of me that wants to be mad at you," she admitted, though it made her feel guilty. "I've gone through the pain of you losing you so many times. I don't want to go through it again. I can't go through that again. I _won't_ go through that again." She watched him gulp, his eyes full of emotion as he watched her.   
  
Emma had to take a moment to steady herself before continuing. "I want to be mad at you," she repeated. "But how can I? You almost died because you were trying to save our little girl. And you did." Her voice broke again. "You saved our Clara. If you hadn't of gotten there in time..."  
  
"Don't," he said, softly. "Don't say it. The important thing is that I did. Clara's alive."  
  
"Clara's alive," Emma echoed, giving him a quick smile. "She's alive...and she's completely traumatized and she needs you." She sniffled again. "She was so scared for you. When I got to the lake and found you, she..."  
  
"She what?" The question was asked somewhat hesitantly. Clearly Killian knew that whatever Emma had been about to say wasn't good. She knew that what she was about to say would break his heart, but she owed it to him to tell him the truth.  
  
"She was crying over you and screaming at you to wake up," Emma said, as gently as she could. He closed his eyes in response.  
  
"Clara," he whispered, pained.  
  
"I've never seen her that upset." Now Emma was practically whispering. "Not even after her worst nightmares. She loves you so much and she could've lost you. We could've lost you." Emma's chin quivered as she studied him. "Damn it Killian, we could have lost you."  
  
"Aye, but you didn't. I'm right here." Somewhere over the course of their conversation, she'd let go of his hand, but now he brought it back to her cheek. "Look at me, Emma. I'm right here."  
  
"Killian, if you ever scare us like that again, I swear..."   
  
"I have no intentions of going anywhere," he cut in gently. "I assure you. I'm sorry I scared you. Come here." He opened his arms, wincing a little at the ache in his side, and she leaned forward to hug him as best she could. The hospital bed made it pretty awkward, but it was something. It would have to do for now. She kissed his cheek a few times before easing back enough to kiss his lips.  
  
"I love you. You know that right?" She asked, tearfully.  
  
"I do, yes," he smiled at her. "And I love you." Emma pressed her forehead to his, ignoring the twinge of pain in her back. She closed her eyes and let herself take comfort from the contact, though it wasn't nearly enough. She couldn't wait until she could hug him properly, but at the moment this would do. She savored it for another few moments before pulling back.  
  
She worried her lip as she studied him. "What is it, love?" He asked.  
  
"Do you think I'm a bad mother?" She had actually been thinking about how to tell him about the attack on their house, but it was as if her mouth had suddenly developed a mind of its own.   
  
"What?" The question had completely thrown him for a loop. "Why would you even ask me that? You're a wonderful mother."  
  
"Am I? Our house got attacked by a bunch of those monsters," she told him. At the look of horror on his face, she quickly added, "I took care of it. Well, me and my mom and Regina took care of it. The house is fine. Everyone is fine."  
  
"Okay," he said slowly. "How exactly does defending our home make you a bad mother?"  
  
"It doesn't," she acknowledged. "But immediately going after you and Clara without bothering to check on Catalina first might."  
  
"Was Catalina hurt?" He asked, worried.  
  
"No, no. The monsters didn't get in the house. We made sure of that," she assured him. "But they woke Catalina up. I was about to go after you right away when I heard her scream and that's when my dad saw the first monster by her window. She was scared and probably needed her mother. But I had to deal with the monsters."  
  
"Well, of course you did," he said, still confused.  
  
"I should have checked on her before I left," she nodded to herself. "But I was so worried about Clara. Even though you and my dad had gone after her. And I knew you would do whatever it took to save her. But..." Emma's face screwed up as she remembered the way it had felt to watch that monster drag Clara away. "But Clara had been taken."   
  
"So you wanted to save her." It was Killian's turn to nod. "Just like I did. Am I a bad father for chasing after her, then?"   
  
"What?" Emma asked, stupidly. "Of course not! Clara was in danger. She -"  
  
"That's right," Killian interrupted her. "Clara had been taken by a horrible, vile monster. And Catalina was safe in the house. I trust that you didn't leave her there by herself."  
  
"Well, no. Henry was with her and Regina stayed," Emma said.  
  
"So you left our daughter in the care of her older brother who loves her and one of the most powerful magic wielders that we know," Killian recapped. "That doesn't sound so terrible to me. Especially considering that our other daughter's life was in danger."  
  
"Okay," Emma agreed. "Maybe that's not so terrible. But how about this? When I got to that lake and saw our sweet baby girl sobbing over your lifeless body, what did I do? Did I try to comfort her? No! No, I didn't."   
  
Emma's eyes were shining with tears as she went on. "I was so worried about you, so worried that we were about to lose you, so my first thought was how to save you."   
  
She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to say something. "I know. Trying to save your life doesn't make me a bad mother. But screaming at her to shut up does! And yeah, that's exactly what I did. She was in hysterics and terrified and all I could do was scream at her to be quiet so I could concentrate." She let out a burst of laughter, completely devoid of any humor. "So what do you think of me now?"  
  
Killian didn't say anything for a long time. Emma closed her eyes and lowered her head, bracing herself for whatever he would say. He was so protective of Clara that she was half-expecting him to yell at her. She wouldn't have blamed him.   
  
But he didn't. The thought to do so hadn't even entered his mind. Not when he could see how horrible she felt about it. Not when he understood how frightened Emma herself must have been.   
  
"What I think," he began finally, his voice surprisingly tender. "Is that this was a horrible situation to be in. You were upset and angry and scared." Killian gently tilted her face back up towards his. "That doesn't make you a bad mother, love. It makes you a human one."  
  
"Clara didn't deserve to be screamed at like that," Emma argued, weakly.  
  
"No, she didn't," Killian agreed, simply. There was no anger in the words.   
  
"I didn't mean to do it," Emma sniffled. "I just...I'd tried to get her to be quiet a couple of times and she was too upset to and I just...I just snapped. I didn't mean to yell." She shrugged helplessly, her eyes pleading with his. "It just...happened." She let out a huff of air. "How lame does that sound?"  
  
"Not lame, Swan," he shook his head. "It's like I said. It just means that you're human."  
  
"You should've seen her face," Emma whispered. "She was so hurt." Another sniffle. "She just stared at me for a few seconds looking so small and so wounded and so incredibly hurt. Oh Killian. I don't know how to make this better."  
  
"It'll be alright," he said, soothingly. "You and Clara will be alright."  
  
"We might be, but will she? She's suffered so much, Killian. How do we get our baby through this?" Emma asked.  
  
"I don't know yet," he said, truthfully. "But we will. We'll figure it out. We'll get her through this. She'll be alright. I promise you that." 

 


	4. It's all my fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Charming and Jones family tries to process what happened and Henry is at a complete loss. He has no idea how to help either of his sisters, especially Clara. No one knows how to help Clara and it seems like things may get worse before they get better. But Emma and Killian are determined to help get their girls through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still sad that we didn't get more Snow and Killian scenes. So I gave them a bit of a mother-in-law/son-in-law moment. This one also features a little bit of David and Emma - their relationship remains my favorite parent/child relationship on the show. I miss them. 
> 
> I deliberated over how to have Clara react to what happened and this felt right. I felt like having one of her worst nightmares come true would bring a lot of things back to the surface. Poor kid is going to have a bit of a tough time, but the payoff that's coming (not in this chapter, but I promise it's coming) will hopefully be worth it.

It was late that morning when Mary Margaret and David came to Killian's hospital room. "Knock knock," Mary Margaret said brightly as she led the way in the room. "We would've stopped by sooner, but we had to get this one checked out first." She said that with a nod to David. "How are you feeling, Killian?"  
  
"Not bad, all things considered," Killian replied.  
  
"Are you in any pain?" Emma couldn't help but smile at the concern in Mary Margaret's voice. If someone had told her that Mary Margaret would come to love Killian like a son the first time they'd met him, Emma would have laughed. But it had happened.   
  
"Some slight discomfort," Killian answered. "Nothing I can't handle."  
  
"You scared us," Mary Margaret scolded him, lovingly. "Don't do that again."  
  
"I'll do my best," he smiled at her.   
  
"Good." She returned the smile, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "We love you. You know that right?"  
  
"Aye I do," he nodded. "I love you too."  
  
"I'll have you know," David began, stepping up to Killian's bedside. "That while I did have to sleep here last night, I did uphold my end of the bargain. I kept Clara safe for you."  
  
"Thanks, mate," Killian said, gratefully. "For everything. If you hadn't of been there, well. Things may have gone quite differently."  
  
"Anytime," David said, acknowledging Killian's thanks with a bow of his head.   
  
"How are you feeling, Dad?" Emma asked, somewhat hesitantly. She felt so guilty about not having gone into his room to see him.   
  
"Good," he smiled at her. "It was just a small bite."  
  
"A small bite," Mary Margaret huffed. "David, that bite was in no way small."  
  
"Eh, it barely broke the skin." David waved it off. "I'm fine."  
  
"You were lucky," Mary Margaret said. She turned her attention to Killian. "So were you. How long do they want to keep you in here?"  
  
"At least a couple of days," Killian replied. Mary Margaret asked him something else, but Emma missed it. There was something about her mom's comments about David's injury that had struck something in Emma.  
  
She hadn't only come close to losing Killian and Clara last night, she realized. She could've lost her father too. He was playing off his injury, but it had to be worse than he was letting on since they'd seen fit to keep him overnight because of it. Oh, he looked fine now. You wouldn't be able to tell that anything had happened just by looking at him.  
  
But that didn't change the fact that he could've lost his life last night. It wasn't the first time he'd put his life on the line for her family. Emma thought about how Killian had told her that he'd had to fight the creatures with Clara in his arms. For most of the battle anyway.   
  
Now she found herself thinking about the fact that David had done the same with her when she was an infant. Had used his sword to fight off the Evil Queen's guards so that he could get Emma to the wardrobe. He'd very nearly lost his life then too.   
  
Maybe he hadn't been the one to fight with Clara in his arms, but that didn't change the fact that he'd gone to help Killian save her without a second thought. Granted, he hadn't known they'd end up having to fight off multiple monsters, but still. He'd gone willingly. All to save Clara.   
  
Emma found herself taking a quick gulp of air as she thought about what might have happened if Killian had found himself and Clara surrounded by monsters with no backup. Earlier that morning, Killian had confessed that he was lucky that David had shown up when he had. Emma knew that Killian still would've done everything in his power to save their daughter. That's what he had done, after all.  
  
But if her dad hadn't shown up, there was a very good chance that she might've lost both her husband and her daughter. Emma's throat went dry at the thought.   
  
"Emma? Are you okay?" David asked now, looking concerned.  
  
"Yeah," she said quickly. A frown appeared on her face a moment later. "No." She changed her mind, a rush of love and gratitude for him propelling her around the hospital bed towards him.  
  
"What is it? What's the ma-" David trailed off as Emma hugged him tightly.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for saving my little girl. And Killian."  
  
"Of course," David said, somewhat taken aback as he wrapped his arms around her.   
  
"I love you, Dad," she said softly.  
  
"I love you too, Emma." He cradled the back of her head with his hand. "I love you too." 

* * *

Henry was at a loss.   
  
Both of his little sisters were having a hard time dealing with the events of the night before and he had no idea how to help either of them. He and Catalina had fallen asleep on the couch the night before after Regina had gone to take their grandparents and Clara to the hospital. It'd been well after midnight when Regina had gotten back to the house with Clara.   
  
Their arrival had woken both Henry and Catalina. It'd been a sad reunion. Henry shivered when he thought of his first glimpse of his youngest sister. Clara had been unnervingly pale and horror-stricken. She hadn't said a word and, what was perhaps more unsettling, hadn't cried either. She'd just stood there like a sad little ghost while Catalina rushed over to her to hug her. Henry had joined them a few moments later.  
  
Regina had decided to spend the rest of the night at their house to Henry's relief. Though now an adult, Henry wasn't sure he was equipped to deal with two young girls suffering this kind of trauma. Regina had ended up sleeping in Clara's room as Clara hadn't wanted to sleep in there. That had worked out since Catalina had been adamant about not leaving Clara's side, announcing that Clara could stay with her in her room. She'd then insisted that Henry not leave them alone.  
  
And so, Clara had eventually fallen asleep sandwiched between her older siblings. Henry's original plan had been to slip back to his room after both his sisters were asleep, but he'd ultimately stayed.  
  
It was what Emma and Killian would have done, he knew. Out of the three of them, Clara needed their parents the most. But if she couldn't have them, she would at least have her siblings. She would not be left alone to suffer. Henry and Catalina would make sure of that.  
  
Henry had woken up late that morning, but his sisters had stayed asleep until the early afternoon. That had been a small miracle; the rest would be good for them. He'd been hoping to find them in somewhat better spirits when they woke up. They weren't. He couldn't blame them. Catalina was the less traumatized of the two, but was nowhere near her usual happy self. Instead, she was anxious and jumpy. Clara, meanwhile, somehow looked worse in the light of day. She'd seemed even more haunted; still looking more like a ghost than a human.  
  
She still hadn't spoken.   
  
Henry had made them - along with Regina and Neal - French toast when they'd gotten up. Sure, it was the afternoon, but it was Clara's favorite. Not that she'd eaten much. Despite both Henry and Regina trying to coax her to do so. Neal had even given it a shot with no luck. "Daddy would want you to eat," Catalina had said finally, her voice soft.   
  
There'd been a tense few moments where Henry had found himself holding his breath. He was certain that tears were coming at the mention of Killian, but they didn't. Clara had merely speared a piece of toast with her fork and put it in her mouth. She'd had a few more pieces; not as much as Henry would have preferred she have, but he figured that it was better than nothing.  
  
A little while ago, Mr. Gold had called to tell them that Belle may have figured out what the monsters were; she thought that they were a kind of afanc. Assuming that she was right, Mr. Gold said that he may know of a way to help. He asked Regina to meet him at his shop so they could discuss it.   
  
Leaving Henry alone with his sisters and their uncle. He had no idea what to say to his sisters or what to do to make them feel better. Neal, bless him, had convinced Catalina to play Go Fish and that was helping to keep her distracted, at least in part.   
  
Henry was impressed with how well his uncle was handling the situation. After all, *his* parents had also had to spend the night at the hospital due to David being injured, but Neal had taken it better than Henry had expected. Oh, he was worried about his dad and his brother-in-law, but he was keeping it together. Henry supposed it helped that Neal had had the benefit of sleeping through the attack. Had slept all through the night, in fact. Neal's ability to sleep through just about anything was truly something.  
  
Now with Neal and Catalina occupied, Henry had turned his focus to Clara. She was currently curled up on the living room couch, hugging Jolly tightly and staring at seemingly nothing. It made him feel like an awful big brother, but he found himself almost wishing that she would cry. At least then he could comfort her. Maybe then he'd feel as if he was being useful.   
  
But she didn't cry. In fact, at the moment she seemed completely devoid of any kind of emotion whatsoever. She just seemed...empty. As if she had lost something of vital importance out there by the lake. Like she'd lost herself.   
  
Henry didn't like it one bit. But what could he do? What do you possibly say to someone like that? A young child, no less?  
  
The sound of his cell phone ringing was a relief. Especially once he saw that it was Emma. "Thank God," he muttered, before answering. "Hey Mom."  
  
"Hey Kid." Emma sounded exhausted, not that that surprised him. He wondered if she'd slept at all; if she had, it had probably been far from restful.  
  
"How's Killian?" He asked.  
  
"Good. He's...he's doing good. They want to keep him here for a few days, but..." Emma cleared her throat. "The surgery. They just want to keep an eye on him to make sure he's healing well. But he's doing good."  
  
"Good. That's good, Mom," he said, wanting to reassure her. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm hanging in there. It helps that he's awake now," Emma replied, honestly. "And my parents are in there with him."  
  
"How's Grandpa?" Henry wanted to know.  
  
"He's good," Emma told him. "We're all good. How about you? How are the girls? Neal?"  
  
"We're...hanging in there," Henry said, slowly. "Neal's kept it together remarkably well."  
  
"But your sisters haven't," Emma guessed, letting out a sigh.  
  
"They're having a tough time," Henry confessed. No point denying it, especially when Emma had guessed as much. "They miss you guys."  
  
"Well, then I have some news that might cheer them up some," Emma informed him. "Could you put me on speaker?"  
  
"Sure," Henry said. "Hey Neal? Catalina? Can you come into the living room, please?" He moved to sit on the couch as he spoke, waiting for Neal and Catalina to join them before switching over to speaker. "Okay Mom."  
  
"Hey you guys." Emma's voice had softened. "Can you hear me?"  
  
"Mommy!" Catalina cried.  
  
"Hi sweetheart! How are you?" Emma asked.  
  
"I miss you and Daddy!" Catalina told her. "When are you coming home?"  
  
"Not for a few days, I'm afraid. But that's okay, you know why?" Emma asked, only waiting a moment before continuing. "I've just spoken to the hospital and they've agreed to let you all come see Daddy!"  
  
"We get to see Daddy?" Catalina asked, sounding the happiest she'd been since waking up. "Really?"  
  
"Really." Henry could hear the smile in his mom's voice. "And I know he'll be so happy to see you!"  
  
"When can we come?" Henry piped up.  
  
"You can come right now, if you want," Emma replied.   
  
"Yay!" Catalina cheered, turning her attention to Clara. "Did you hear that, Clara? We get to see Daddy!" She turned her attention back to the phone. "We'll get to see you too, right Mommy?"  
  
"You absolutely will," Emma confirmed. "Grandma and Grandpa will be here too!"   
  
"I have to go change!" Catalina exclaimed. She was still in her pajamas - all the kids were.   
  
"Me too!" Neal chimed in. Henry couldn't help smiling as the two of them raced towards the stairs.  
  
"Be careful, you guys!" He cautioned. His smile faded when he realized that Clara hadn't moved. "Clara? Don't you want to go change too? Do you need any help? I can help you pick out something to wear, if you want."   
  
"Clara?" Emma sounded concerned now. "Baby, are you okay?" Henry found himself once again holding his breath while he waited to see if his sister would actually answer.  
  
She did. Though neither Emma nor Henry was prepared for her response.  
  
"Do I have to go?" Her voice was so soft.   
  
A pause.   
  
"Don't...don't you want to see Daddy?" Emma asked, sounding just as bewildered as Henry felt. He'd imagined that Clara would be over the moon about seeing Killian, but she wasn't. If anything, the news seemed to make her sad somehow. Henry wasn't sure if this was an improvement over the emptiness or not.   
  
"Clara?" Henry asked.   
  
"No," she answered quietly.  
  
"Why not?" Emma asked, her voice nearly as quiet as her daughter's.  
  
"Because..." Clara stopped herself, biting her lip as if trying to decide if she should go on.  
  
"Because why, baby?" Emma pushed, gently. "You can tell me. It's okay."  
  
"Because..." Clara paused to take a breath. "It's all my fault."   
  
Emma didn't respond for a few moments and when she did, Henry got the impression that she was choosing her words carefully. "Clara, baby, what happened to Daddy wasn't your fault. It was those monsters. They were the ones who -"  
  
" _My_ monsters!" Clara interrupted, upset. "They were coming for me! Daddy got hurt because of me!" Her chin quivered. "It's all my fault."  
  
"Clara..." Emma began, but was too choked up to continue.  
  
"No, it wasn't. Daddy knew he might get hurt if he went after you and he decided to go anyway. Because he loves you," Henry spoke up. "There was no way that he was going to let a monster take you."  
  
"That's right," Emma chimed in. "He knew it was dangerous, but all he cared about was saving you. Daddy loves you so much, baby. I know he doesn't blame you for what happened. And neither do I. It wasn't your fault that that horrible monster grabbed you. Me and Daddy should've known better. I should've had a protection spell over the house."   
  
"Daddy should've let them take me," Clara replied, sadly. "You'd be better of without me."  
  
"Oh Clara." Emma sounded just as sad. "No, we wouldn't. We couldn't bear losing you. You have to know that. We love you, baby."  
  
Clara didn't respond, but Henry saw a tear trickle down her cheek. "I know that Daddy really wants to see you. He misses you a lot, honey. I miss you too," Emma let out a long sigh. "But I won't force you to come if you really don't want to. Are you _sure_ you don't want to?"  
  
"Yes," Clara whispered.   
  
"Are you sure?" Henry asked.   
  
"Please don't make me go," Clara pleaded.  
  
"Okay. It's okay. You don't have to," Emma said, sounding resigned. "Just...just know that you can always change your mind. Okay, baby?"  
  
"Okay," Clara said, her voice still soft.  
  
"Okay." Henry closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll find someone to watch Clara and then I'll bring Neal and Catalina over," he told Emma.  
  
"Okay, Kid," Emma sighed again. "Clara? I love you, honey. Mommy loves you very much. So does Daddy." Clara merely sniffled in response as a few more tears rolled their way down her cheeks.  
  
"See you soon, Mom," Henry said when it was clear that Clara wasn't going to respond.  
  
"See you soon, Kid." Emma replied, somewhat sadly. 

* * *

  
Back at the hospital, Emma leaned her head back against the wall after wrapping up her call with Henry. She stood just outside of Killian's hospital room with her eyes closed and couldn't bring herself to go back in just yet.   
  
She knew her husband. He would undoubtedly try to play it off, but she knew that he would be hurt when he found out that Clara wasn't coming. Emma knew that it was best that he found out before the other kids showed up, but she hated the thought of telling him.   
  
The sound of his door opening caused her to open her eyes. "Emma?" It was Mary Margaret. "Is everything alright? Did you talk to the kids?"  
  
"I did," Emma nodded. "They're getting changed and then they'll be on their way. Most of them, anyway."  
  
"Most of them?" Mary Margaret repeated. "Who's not coming?"  
  
"Clara." Emma sighed as she looked at her mother. "She didn't want to come."  
  
"Why not?" Mary Margaret asked, sounding confused.  
  
"She blames herself for Killian getting hurt," Emma told her sadly. "She thinks he should've just let the monsters take her."  
  
"No," Mary Margaret frowned. "Poor Clara. How could she think that?"  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine," Emma shrugged, feeling helpless. "I thought we'd made her understand how much we love her when she ran away, but I guess it didn't stick." She sighed. "I don't know what to do. I think seeing Killian would help her. He's so good with her, you know? And I think she'd feel better if she could see him, see that he's going to be alright. But I don't want to make her come here against her will." Her eyes pleaded with her mother's. "Did I do the right thing? Should I have insisted that Henry bring her?"  
  
"No," Mary Margaret answered after giving it some thought. "If she's not ready it could do more harm than good." She put a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder. "I know it's hard, but this'll pass. She has a lot she has to deal with right now. It's all so recent. Maybe she just needs a day or two to process."  
  
"I hope so. I just want her to be okay," Emma said quietly.  
  
"I know, Emma. I do too," Mary Margaret said. "For what it's worth, I think she will be. She has a family full of people who love her and support her, after all. We won't let her down. I promise you that. We're here for her. And for all of you."  
  
"Thanks Mom." Emma reached up to cover Mary Margaret's hand with her own. "There's another problem though."  
  
"What's that?" Mary Margaret asked.  
  
"Killian. Do you know what it'll do to him to find out that Clara blames herself for what happened? It'll break his heart," Emma sighed again. "I almost don't want to tell him."  
  
"He can handle it," Mary Margaret reminded her, gently. "I know that it'll hurt him and I know you don't want to do that. I don't want him to be hurt either, but he can handle it. Besides, he can't help her unless he knows exactly what's wrong. You have to tell him."  
  
"I know." Emma nodded in resignation. "I guess I might as well get it over with, huh?"  
  
"It'll only get harder the longer you wait," Mary Margaret agreed.   
  
"You're right. Okay," Emma said. "I can do this."  
  
"Yes, you can," Mary Margaret nodded. "It'll be alright."   
  
"Right." Emma took a deep breath before following her mother back into Killian's hospital room.

* * *

  
"There you are," David said. He was sitting in a chair across from Killian's bed. "We were wondering when you'd be back."  
  
"Is everything okay?" Emma asked, suddenly alarmed as she hurried to her husband's bedside.  
  
"Everything's fine," Killian assured her.   
  
"Did you talk to the kids?" David asked.  
  
"You know what I think?" Mary Margaret spoke up suddenly, sensing that her daughter probably wanted some privacy as she filled Killian in. "I think that since Killian is going to have to stay here for a few days that we should try to spruce this place up a bit."  
  
"That's not necessary," Killian told her, though he appreciated the sentiment.  
  
"Don't be silly. Being stuck in the hospital is no fun. The least we can do is perk it up some." Mary Margaret turned her attention to David. "Let's go see what they have in the gift shop."  
  
"Guess we're going to the gift shop," David said after a moment, sounding slightly bewildered. "We'll be back." He smiled at Emma as he went to join Mary Margaret.  
  
"We'll be here," Emma replied. Catching her mother's eye, she mouthed a _'thank you'_. Mary Margaret smiled at her before leading David out of the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Alright, I wasn't born yesterday," Killian commented, studying his wife. "What's going on?"  
  
"What makes you think something's going on?" Emma asked defensively, causing his eyebrow to lift.  
  
"It's like I've told you before, love," he began. "You're something of an open book to me. I know when something's bothering you. Come here." He gestured to a spot on the bed with his hook. "Tell me what's wrong."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright?" Emma stalled as she perched on the spot he'd indicated.   
  
"Emma." She briefly closed her eyes to collect herself.  
  
"Okay, okay. Something is wrong," she confessed. "I did talk to the kids."  
  
"Okay," he said slowly. "Are they alright?"  
  
"They're...hanging in there," Emma said, echoing what Henry had said when she'd asked him how they were. "Henry should be on his way here soon with Catalina and Neal. Catalina's very excited about seeing you," she told him. "She misses you."  
  
"It'll be wonderful to see her," Killian responded, a warm smile on his face as he thought of his eldest daughter. "Henry, as well." The smile faded a moment later, however. "And Clara?" His brow furrowed in concern when Emma opened her mouth only to have no words come out. "Emma?"  
  
"She's not coming," she told him, gently.   
  
"Oh," he replied, sounding a little sad. He shook his head as if to brush it off. "Well, as much as I would love to see her, I can't say that I blame our little lass. Hospitals can be scary for children, after all."  
  
"Yeah..." Emma bit her lip, hating the way it made him frown.  
  
"Was...was that not why she didn't want to come?" He asked, somewhat hesitantly.   
  
"It's probably part of it," Emma offered. She gave him a sad smile as she took hold of his hook with one hand and rested her other on his brace. "But she, well..."  
  
"Just tell me," he said, quietly. "It's okay."  
  
"She doesn't want to see you. Not...not yet, anyway. She, um, she's having a tough time and she blames herself for what happened." Emma moved the hand she'd had wrapped around his hook and leaned in to press it against his cheek.   
  
"It wasn't her fault," Killian said, his voice full of emotion.   
  
"I know it wasn't," Emma said, soothingly. "I told her it wasn't. I told her that neither of us blame her for what happened, but she didn't believe me. She thinks it's her fault that you're in here."  
  
"That...that's absurd. She didn't hurt me, those blasted monsters did," Killian said.  
  
"Yeah, but they were _her_ monsters. That's what she said when I tried to tell her that same thing. They were coming for her and she thinks...You know what? That doesn't matter right now," Emma said, trying to sound confident and failing.  
  
"What else does she think?" Killian pushed. "You don't have to try and protect me, love. I want to know."  
  
"Oh Killian," Emma sighed, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "She thinks that you should've let them take her."  
  
"What?" The question came out on a near whisper. "That's...what? Did she actually tell you that?"  
  
"Yes," Emma nodded. "I told her that we couldn't bear it if we lost her, but I don't think she believed me. Maybe I didn't try hard enough." She let out a huff of air. "Scratch that. I didn't. Damn it, I didn't."  
  
"So our daughter has been plagued by these horrible dreams for years now," Killian began, slowly building up steam as he went. "She's been haunted by these horrible monsters and now we find out that they aren't just a mere figment of her imagination. They're actual living beings and they took her."   
  
Killian sucked in a quick breath of air through his teeth. "It wasn't enough that they've been terrorizing the town, but they came to our house and one of them took her. It just whisked her up and carried her off into the night where they could've killed her. Hell, she very nearly drowned. And then." Another quick breath.  
  
"And then she got to watch as her father was almost killed before her eyes." He let out a bitter chuckle. "That was one of her dreams, you know. Me getting hurt by one of her bloody monsters. And now it's actually happened. Bloody hell!" Killian suddenly slammed his hand down on the railing of his bed, making Emma jump.   
  
"Killian, please calm down," Emma urged. "It's not going to help to -"  
  
"Perhaps the worst thing of all," he went on. Emma didn't think he'd even heard her. "She thinks that what happened to her, what happened to me, is all her fault. She's four years old! She couldn't be more innocent." He looked at her with shining eyes.   
  
"Killian," Emma whispered.  
  
"It wasn't her fault," he shook his head. "This was not her fault."  
  
"No, it wasn't," Emma agreed, not sure what else to say. Especially not after what he said next.  
  
"It was mine."  
  
"Killian..."  
  
"This was my fault," he nodded. "I'm her father! It's my job to keep her safe. It's my job to keep the monsters away, but have I done that? No! I should have known. I should have guessed that her monsters were real. How did it not occur to me? How could I have missed this?"  
  
"None of us knew they were real," Emma offered, weakly.  
  
"Yes, but I'm a bloody Captain! I've seen more sea monsters than any of you," he snarled. "I should have known! Hell, we've seen plenty of monsters on land and it still never occurred to me. If it had, maybe I could have kept all this from happening."  
  
"We don't know that," Emma said quickly.   
  
"What's more," he continued, ignoring her. "Is that I can't even help our little girl feel better because she doesn't want to bloody see me!"  
  
"She'll come around. You know she will," Emma assured him. "She's just scared..."  
  
"Aye, she's scared. She's scared and wounded and she needs us. She needs me even though she's too, what, guilty to see me?" He shook his head again. "And now I'm stuck in this bloody hospital for who knows how long. Damn it. Damn it all to hell!"  
  
"Killian, please," Emma pleaded, a tear sliding down her cheek. She knew she'd never have managed it, but she wished she hadn't said anything. She hated knowing that she'd brought about this much pain.   
  
"And now I've gone and made you cry," he sighed, the energy that had flooded his body during his outburst disappearing. To be replaced by pure self-loathing. "Wonderful. So I've upset my wife and made one of my daughter's worst nightmares come true." He scrubbed his hand over his face. "The way I'm going, it's probably best that Catalina not come after all since I'll probably just end up traumatizing her too. Bloody hell."  
  
"Oh Killian," Emma murmured.   
  
"I'm sorry, my love." Now his voice had gone quiet. "I didn't mean to upset you." She waved his apology off.  
  
"I should be saying that to you." She gave him a sad smile. "I knew telling you what she said would only hurt you, but I went and told you anyway."  
  
"I asked you to," he reminded her.   
  
"Yeah, but I could've phrased it better..." She trailed off when he shook his head.  
  
"This was not your fault." He gave her a weak smile. "This was all mine."  
  
"Boy." She let out a breathless chuckle. "I'm sorry. Nothing about this is funny. It's not. I just...Clara really is your daughter, you know? The two of you." Emma shook her head. "Blaming yourselves for what happened. And you need each other. She's always needed you in a way she doesn't need me."  
  
"Emma," he began, but stopped when she held up her hand.  
  
"I know Clara loves me and needs me too," Emma said. "But she's a total daddy's girl." Her eyes softened. "I wouldn't have her any other way. And I get it. Trust me. She may have gotten her looks from you, but the love she has for you?" She smiled at him with tear-filled eyes. "She got _that_  from me."  
  
Emma framed his face with both her hands. "Both of our girls got their love for you from me. We all need you so much and Clara..." She sniffled. "I should have insisted that Henry bring her. Damn it, why didn't I?"  
  
"Because you're a good mother who respects her daughter's wishes," he said, gently. "Believe me, I would love nothing more than to be able to hold our sweet Clara in my arms and try to take away some of her pain, but she didn't wish to come. And that's okay. It hurts," he acknowledged. "But it's okay. I'm sorry I lost it for a moment there."  
  
"It's okay. I don't blame you." She gave him a pointed look. "For any of it. If nothing else, if any of this _was_ your fault, just as much of it was mine. And like you told me earlier, we'll figure this out. We'll get Clara through this." A grim smile appeared on her face. "And if any more of those damn monsters show up, we'll kill them."  
  
"Aye," he agreed, a look of determination in his eyes. "We'll keep our girls safe. No matter what."

 


End file.
